


the fires that burn

by alongwinter



Series: you're a hammer, sweet firecracker [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: At least to Stiles, Fluff, Good Peter, Light Angst, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Nervous Stiles Stilinski, Relationship Discussions, Stiles Stilinski Is Bad at Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-08
Updated: 2018-02-08
Packaged: 2019-03-15 15:54:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13616685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alongwinter/pseuds/alongwinter
Summary: Stiles is still questioning a reveal, while Peter struggles to be honest.





	the fires that burn

**Author's Note:**

> i'm not completely happy with this (it was a pain in my ass tbh) and i guess it's more of a "filler" part, but it'll pick up next part for sure.

It was almost childlike, the way Stiles’ thumb seemed to be permanently attached to his mouth, nail between teeth, ever since he heard the familiar steps down the hall from their apartment. His anxiety spiked as he heard the door open, keys clanking in the glass bowl, which honestly, they should have gotten rid of eons ago. It was tacky and screamed domesticity, something that seemed to scare Stiles himself more than Peter these days, but really, _that bowl_ is just — 

“Stiles?” Peter asks, sensing his distress and walking into the room swift, confident, claws extended and ready for a fight. “What’s going on?” 

Stiles croaks, “I’m okay, nothing like that.”

Peter softened, his claws disappearing as he walked closer, running a hand through his boy’s hair lovingly. Stiles looked up at him then, eyes wide and searching before Peter squats in front of him, eye level, and pressed a kiss to his forehead. His hand travelled up his  neck, thumb rubbing the stress from the boy’s tendons.

The sight of Stiles this nervous and wound tight wasn’t a surprise for Peter, wasn’t worrisome in any way. He always got like this when there was something important to discuss, like he was going to fall apart at any moment from nerves and pure adrenaline. It was unsettling, of course, but Peter learned to deal with it a long time ago.

“I’ve been thinking, about what you said the other day.”

Peter made a sound, listening attentively as his thumb continued to smooth relaxing patterns over Stiles’ neck. His boy still looked nervous, looked lost and untethered despite the anchoring touches so he decided to back off, give him room to breathe without an audience in his bubble. Peter sat back on his haunches, throwing his weight to stand quickly and moved toward the ottoman a foot or two away from Stiles’ chair. He didn’t want to go too far, still needing the close proximity himself.

“I’m scared,” Stiles said finally. “I’m so terrified this isn’t a forever thing with you, that I’m taking risks to make this work but nothing will turn out how I expect it to.”

Peter is quiet for some time, lips pursed before he asks, “Do you not want this to be a ‘forever thing’?”

“Of course I do,” Stiles says, ringing his hands together, “But I know how you are sometimes. If you get in a bad place, you’ll do something to make me hate you just because you think I deserve better.”

“I can see where you’d get that,” Peter sighed, looking off and clenching his jaw, rolling words around in his mind as the silence lingered on. He finally settled slightly, licking his lips,  “I have to be honest, with you. With myself.”

“Please do.”

Peter stopped again, questioning what he was going to say. It seemed harsh, but he knew Stiles would understand, would grasp what he was truly saying beneath the words. Either way, it was still nerve wracking to speak up like this, so brute and honest about someone he cared so deeply about. He knew he was tactless at times, a defense, but he wanted to keep something for once. He refused to lose this, too. Cutting to the quick, he forced himself to carry on.

“I feel like your dirty little secret, like you’re ashamed of me. Not all the time, of course, I wouldn’t stand for that kind of treatment. But sometimes, being kept in the dark for so long, it gets to people. Even me.”

Stiles sighed out, lungs trembling as the panic started to grow, “You know that’s not why I do this, right?”

“Oh, I’m aware,” Peter said, smiling softly again, “Besides, it would almost be understandable if you were ashamed. I made terrible decisions before, and I’ve been on McCall’s Most Wanted list ever since.”

“Scott has nothing to do with this, with us.”

Peter quirked an eyebrow, smirking softly in an oh-so familiar way, “Then why has this been such an issue?”

“I think I’m just paranoid of the ending,” he whispered, “I don’t want to lose this and I don’t want what they’re going to do to end up being the thing that pushes you away from me.”

Peter scooted the ottoman closer, wincing as it made an unattractive rumble on the wooden floors before grasping Stiles’ hands in his own, a mirror image of the position from weeks ago. He kissed him once, twice, three times before resting their foreheads together, their breaths mingling between them. It was grounding, anchoring not only the wolf, but the human as well.

“Okay,” Stiles shook his head to himself, knocking his head against Peter’s lovingly, “We’ll tell them when we go down next weekend.”

“I don’t want to pressure you,” Peter started.

“You aren’t, I promise. This is something we need to do. I’m just being a jerk about it. I love you, and I’m not scared of that.”

They both smiled softly, hands squeezing as they kissed once more. Nothing, Peter was sure, could tear them apart.


End file.
